Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) impacts quality of life and cognition in older adults, but its link to sleep patterns remains unclear. This study explores associations between ARHL and sleep duration, weekend catch-up sleep (WCS), and bedtime regularity in a Korean population.

Data from 6797 adults aged ≥ 40 years were analyzed using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2021–2022). Sleep patterns were assessed via self-reported questionnaires. ARHL was classified as mild (26–41 dB) or moderate and above (>41 dB) using audiometry. Poisson regression models examined associations between sleep characteristics and ARHL, adjusting for confounders.

WCS (≥1 h) was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of both mild (adjusted prevalence ratio = 0.58, 95 % CI: 0.44–0.76) and moderate ARHL (aPR = 0.79, 95 % CI: 0.63–0.98). These associations remained robust in stratified analyses among middle-aged adults and men (p-interaction < 0.01). In contrast, sleep duration and bedtime regularity showed no significant associations with ARHL after adjustment.

Our findings indicate that WCS may be associated with a lower prevalence of ARHL, particularly in middle-aged adults and men, highlighting the potential role of sleep behavior in auditory health promotion.